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Mr. Brainwash
Los Angeles-based street artist born in France / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Thierry Guetta (born January 31, 1966), best known by his moniker Mr. Brainwash, is a French-born Los Angeles–based street artist. According to the 2010 Banksy-directed film Exit Through the Gift Shop, Guetta was a proprietor of a used clothing store, and amateur videographer who was first introduced to street art by his cousin, the street artist Invader, and who filmed street artists through the 2000s and became an artist in his own right in a matter of weeks after an off-hand suggestion from Banksy.
Mr. Brainwash | |
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![]() Thierry Guetta in 2012 | |
Born | Thierry Guetta (1966-01-31) January 31, 1966 (age 58) Garges-lès-Gonesse, France |
Known for | Photoshopping Printmaker Street art Social commentary |
Notable work | Exit Through The Gift Shop |
Movement | Pop art |
Website | mrbrainwash |
A number of critics[who?] have observed that his works strongly emulate the styles and concepts of Banksy, and have speculated that Guetta is an elaborate prank staged by Banksy, who may have created the works himself. Banksy insists on his official website, however, that Exit Through the Gift Shop is authentic and that Guetta is not part of a prank.[1]
His work sold for five-figure sums at his self-financed debut exhibit Life Is Beautiful, due, it is thought,[who?] to a mixture of an overheated and hyped street art market and his endorsements from Banksy and Fairey. The exhibit was held in Los Angeles, California, on June 18, 2008, and was a popular[2] success. In 2009, Madonna paid Guetta to design the cover art for her Celebration album.[3]
In October 2013, Guetta took part in Art Wars at the Saatchi Gallery curated by Ben Moore. Guetta was issued with a stormtrooper helmet, which he transformed into a work of art. Proceeds went to the Missing Tom Fund set up by Ben Moore to find his brother Tom who has been missing for over ten years. The work was also shown on the Regents Park platform as part of Art Below Regents Park.[citation needed]